Summer Issue 2006

You can order this issue from our subscription section.

Features

Enlightenment in Female Form
Gehlek Rinpoche explains why true enlightenment is possible only when both female and male energies are fully present, and he introduces Tara practices to help bring powerful female energy into our lives.

The Four Layers of Consciousness
Thich Nhat Hanh examines the different layers of consciousness, how they interact, and why understanding the components of mind is so essential to our meditation practice.

Into the Depths of Emptiness
Master Shen Yen takes surveys the path to enlightenment, explaining how it progresses and where the pitfalls are. Our intellectual understanding, our temporary realizations, even the exalted state of oneness—all must be dropped to realize the highest truth.

Reflecting on a Mother’s Love
Ajahn Amaro remembers on the great kindness and generosity of his mother, and contemplates the relationship between mother and child in light of the teachings on emptiness and impermanence.

Forum: How Should I Help?
Roshi Bernie Glassman, Robina Courtin, and Paul Haller on the relationship between social engagement and Buddhist practice.

Opinion: The Upper Middle Way
Kobai Scott Whitney asks, Have North American's renounced renunciation?

The Lamp of Zazen
The point of zazen, says Suzuki Roshi, is to live each moment in complete combustion, like a clean-burning kerosene lamp.

Departments

Commentary - each issue features an editorial written by one of the main teachers in western Buddhism. Gaylon Ferguson: Why Are We Meditating?

Letters - Email letters to the Editor.

First Thoughts - a collection of short essays to open the journal, by notable teachers and writers. A Trip Down the Rabbit Hole; A Mindful Letter; Buddhadasa Never Dies; The Spiritual Mechanic; Fools Rush In; Be the Elephant; An Awkward Question at Sunday Tea.

Ask the Teachers - Question: There are lots of Buddhist resources available for the beginner or the person with modest experience (and a good income). But one can only read so many books and attend so many retreats. How does one get through that middle-to-later phase if one can't go live in a monastery or sit with a teacher for several years? The answers. Email your practice questions.

Reviews - Ben Howard reviews After: Poems, by Jane Hirshfield; Martin Baumann reviews Encountering the Dharma: Daisaku Ikeda, Soka Gakkai, and the Globalization of Buddhist Humanism, by Richard Hughes Seager; Felix Holmgren reviews The Madman’s Middle Way: Reflections on Reality of the Tibetan Monk Gendün Chöpel, by Donald S. Lopez Jr.

Dharma Classic - longtime practitioners highlight a Buddhist book that was significant on their path. In this issue: Diana Atkinson on Buddhism Without Beliefs, by Stephen Batchelor.

Book Briefs - Benjamin Bogin reviews 9 of the latest books on Buddhism.

Dharma Dictionary - an essay that singles out a key Buddhist term for explanation. In this issue: Diane Eshin Rizzetto defines "Jukai."

Network Listings - A directory of meditation and yoga centers throughout North America.

Mahasangha News - the latest news from Buddhist communities across North America, and the world. Email in your community news. In this issue: Barry Boyce profiles Snow Lion Publications, and Steven Goodman reports on the death of pioneer Buddhist scholar Herbert Guenther.

Centers and Programs - A section highlighting upcoming programs being offered at various centers.

Journeys - Faith Adiele: Book Tour in the Bronx.

You can order this issue or a trial subscription to Buddhadharma by clicking here.